Ash Barty is a win away from lifting the Wimbledon title after defeating former champion Angelique Kerber in a tight straight sets encounter.
The world No.1 overcame some stern opposition from her opponent to prevail 6-3, 7-6(3), at The All England Club on what is the 10th anniversary of her triumph in the junior competition. In what was both a physical and mental challenge, Barty was forced to recover from a 1-4 deficit in the second set en route to becoming the first woman from her country to reach the final since her idol Evonne Goolagong in 1980. In her latest performance she blasted eight aces and 38 winners past Kerber.
“This is close to as good of a tennis match that I will ever play. Angie brought the best out of me and it was a hell of a match right from the first ball. I knew it had to be that good just to compete with her,” said Barty.
“I’m incredibly proud of myself and my team. Now we get a chance on Saturday to try and live out our childhood dream.” She added.
Playing in her first Wimbledon semi-final at the age of 25, Barty overcame some initial nerves early on against her more experienced opponent. Kerber won the tournament back in 2018 and has won more Tour matches on the grass than most active players apart from both of the Williams sisters.
It was a single break two games into the opener which proved crucial for the Australian. A Kerber backhand into the net moved Barty to break point which she converted with the help of a winner on the following point. In the lead, she continued to weather the storm during what was a trickier opening set than what the score suggests. Leading 5-3, a deep shot moved Barty to her first set point before she closed it out with an ace out wide.
Dropping the first set served as a wake up call for Kerber who elevated her level by going out guns blazing at the start of the second frame. Hitting the ball cleaner and utilizing the angle shot to her advantage, the world No.22 roared her way to a three-game winning streak. It looked as if Kerber was destined to take the match into a decider as she worked her way to a 5-3 lead. However, at the worst possible moment nerves struck and a series of costly errors let the world No.1 back into the match as she drew level once again.
It was the clutch moments which separated the two players on the court. An anticlimactic end to their clash saw in the second set tiebreak Kerber produced more mistakes as Barty surged to a 6-0 lead. Failing to convert her first three match points, she triumphed on her fourth time attempt after a Kerber backhand slammed into the net on what was her 22nd unforced error of the match.
“I’ve had an incredible journey. I’ve had ups and downs, and everything in between. I wouldn’t change one day or moment in my journey. It’s been unique, it’s been incredible and it’s been tough. There’s so many things that have led to this point,” Barty reflected afterwards.
“Being able to play on the final Saturday at Wimbledon is just going to be the best experience ever.”
The run to the final comes after what has been a difficult past few weeks on the Tour. At the French Open Barty was forced to retire during a match due to a leg injury and couldn’t even play any grasscourt events heading into Wimbledon. An impressive performance for the Australian who says she wouldn’t have been able to achieve the milestone without the support of her team.
“In all the opportunities I get to do, I get to do it with the people that I love,” she said. “People who have given so much of their time to try and help me be the best that I can be. We laugh everyday and smile every day. Sometimes through the heartache but the best moments as well. I want to share it with them.”
Should Barty go on to win the title she would become only the fourth WTA player in history to claim both the junior and senior trophies at Wimbledon after Ann Jones, Martina Hingis and Amélie Mauresmo.
